In the Midst of Time
by Rinrinchan-san
Summary: What if Ryotaro, the heir of the Tsuchiura Clan, a warrior in the past, is suddenly transported into the future. Here comes Nami, a young high school student, an aspiring journalist who accidentally meets the lad in their summer camp, and there, in that instant, becomes his 'babysitter' Can the future Laird handle a world he isn't a part of?


_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own La Corda D'oro_

**In the Midst of Time**

_What if Ryotaro, the heir of the Tsuchiura Clan, a warrior in the past, is suddenly transported into the future. Here comes Nami, a young high school student, an aspiring journalist who accidentally meets the lad in their summer camp, and there, in that instant, becomes his 'babysitter'__**  
**__Can the future Laird handle a world he isn't a part of?_

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**Chapter I**

Thunderous gallop of horses and men afoot shaked the grassy and muddy earth. The wind blew heavily like a slap in the face in every whoosh and run against it, some would wince with the course of sudden scrape on the skin, but then on the second thought it was simply the current of nature, seemingly helping the man who by that time outnumbered by many.

Ryotaro bit his lower lip in frustration. Why didn't he expect such to happen so early. He was, after all, the soon to be Laird of their place, he ought to protect every living within his vicinity, he was trained to do so, a warrior since birth, nurtured with enough knowledge in both physical and mental, and raised with dignity and bravery to handle every problem throwing upon them like big boulders of rocks.

But this moment, seeing his men battered, bruised and almost out of life, Ryotaro felt the strange bitterness of disappointment, the realization of his weakness and incapability gave a torrent of desolation within him. He wished he could have done something, he wished he could bring back time, train more, educate himself more to be able to protect his ward. He wished he didn't take all those things his father did for granted, ignore the lectures and warnings, he wished he didn't become impulsive with his decision.

Ryotaro held the sword in his hand tightly, turning around to face his fate, either death or success, he will face it like the man he was molded. However, once he turned and craned his neck at his adversaries, a white flash blinded his vision and an invisible force pulled him downward the cliff. The air cradled his person, making the fall slow and bearable until he reached the ground with a small thud. And there came a scream above him, and a pain coursed through his skull down to his back like electricity.

She wouldn't have gone in that place, but her mood sunk in the deepest part of the earth, she needed time alone to contemplate and think if it was really her fault. Opinions don't usually fall as wrong, no one knows what is correct and wrong about it. And, Nami Amou was just giving her own opinion about their lesson. Couldn't a student express what was on her mind? Why would a teacher just go berserk about her disagreement toward the subject, it was her opinion, her view, couldn't he just accept it as it.

Nami sighed for the nth time, kicking a stray pebble away to alleviate the ire inside her. "And I thought this was fun."

She pouted and stared at her camera. She was in a conference representing her school and journalism club, at first she was excited to come, there would be a lot of things to learn, and she could meet other good journalist, and well-known broadcaster, nevertheless, after meeting with him, whom she admired since she learned about the word journalism, she took back what she said and her mood and enthusiasm about the idea of staying there for three days lapsed.

Nami caressed the lens of her camera, wiping the invisible dust on it before placing it before her eyes and took a picture. At this moment, whenever in a bad mood, Nami resorted in capturing what pleases her. Doing this kind of diversion pacified her inner turmoil and gave a smile on her lips.

She saw a swallowtail butterfly and followed it, eager to take a picture of its triple colored wings and its strange shape. Nami smiled when the butterfly stayed on a wild red flower. She ambled and carefully clicked the shutter release of her camera. Amidst of her great concentration a shot of flash blinded her vision and a thud overheard afterward. There was a groan, and Nami jumped to stand and looked at what had just fallen from the sky. She released a sharp scream, grasping a thing that fell together with the strange creature and hit _it_ on its back.

_It _groaned and fell back on the ground.

"Oh! God, I killed it!" Nami gasped, throwing the branch she assumed the lad used to avoid falling but broke because of his weight. "Shi...a man! Hey are you all right?"

Ryotaro groaned again, dizziness consuming most of his senses, the pain hadn't receded yet, and there was this sticky liquid gushing out from his head toward his face. He heard another curse with a word '_blood_' and _'he's gonna die'. _Ryotaro frowned, despite his condition, and tried to turn around on his back. A pair of sapphire orbs swept a worried look at his face, her lips trembling with anxiety and fright. Ryotaro could clearly see the battle of afraid glimmer and concern in the depth of her eyes, and, at that moment, he just wanted to look at how ironically calm the color of it against the mixed feelings of gleams it showed.

"Hey talk, you jerk!" Nami drawled out, eyes stinging from the unshed tears. Goodness, she might be jailed if he dies. Nobody knows, maybe she could just leave him there, no one will know it was her fault. Nami pursed her trembling lips and looked at the guy she realized staring at her. Goodness, he must have memorized her look. Why don't she just proceed on killing him? A dead man wouldn't be able to point a finger at her. Yes, nice idea, Nami. Get rid of him. Nami whacked her head. "Hey!"

Ryotaro held her wrist earning him another sharp squeal. He loosened his hold, hoping it would stop her from screaming, but the lady just simply added another octave to her loud shrieks.

"S-stop..." he managed to exhale.

"Oh goodness, I'm going to be nice to my mentor, just don't let him kill me." Nami cried.

Ryotaro grunted, pushing his weight from his back to his propped arms, he inclined to Nami's direction to ask her. "Where am I?"

Nami halted for a second and screamed again. Noting that the woman wouldn't stop screaming, Ryotaro mustered his remaining strength and covered her mouth with his hand, unluckily, with the bloodied one. She almost fainted, feeling the liquid and alive red on her cheeks, and mostly on her lips. She squirmed and thrashed until they both fell on the ground, dust and leaves gathered on her hair and clothes.

"Lord, she's impossible." Ryotaro grumbled, wincing from his injury. "I don't mean any harm, now will you refrain from screaming and thrashing."

She blinked, calmed and collected her reasonable mind before nodding. Feeling relief with her sudden compliance, Ryotaro asked her questions, careful not to bombard her too much to strike another panic attack.

Nami looked wary, digesting the information and questions he threw over her. "Are you trying to tell me you're not from here?"

"Hn. Indeed, I am not. I was in my battle against the Yunoki clan when this flash appeared and pulled me from a cliff, but I'm mostly certain it is not here."

"How sure are you?" _Is he talking about Yunoki-san?_

Ryotaro glanced at her with a raised brow. "I grew up in that place since my babyhood. I know every part of the forest. And..." he swept a thorough scrutiny over her, making Nami flinch from his intense stare. "I'm certain our women don't dress too revealing, and they wear their plaids as often as possible. Let me rephrase that, always wear our color."

_Too revealing? _Nami almost blurted out. What part of ¾ jeans and shirt is revealing? "What plaid? We don't wear things like that."

"Exactly..." Ryotaro inhaled. "Are we going to argue about this or are you still planning to treat my wound."

"O-oh! I'm so sorry." Nami gasped. "I—I can't do this here." she stared at his clothes and realized he wasn't wearing any top but only this green checkered fabric, she assumed as their _'color' _as what he put it. Their clan's plaid. Nami almost laughed when she noticed he was wearing a '_skirt_'. Oh wait! Nami rethought, a kilt, he was wearing a kilt. "Don't tell me you're a Highlander?"

Ryotaro rolled his eyes heavenward "Are you stalling everything to kill me?"

"Oh, right. I can't bring you in my dorm... this...I don't think I can explain it to my roommates, and I had had enough of problem to think..." Nami pursed her lips again, thinking. "I don't have any choice."

"What?"

"It's not that far from here, we can get a taxi."

"Jeez. What are you talking about?" Ryotaro inhaled again.

"Our...my house. It's just nearby, I'll call a cab, and we can go there," Nami explained, thinking that she'll just call her teacher. She knew very well she would get scolded afterward.

They got a taxi, Nami ignored the suspicious look of the driver and prayed that they could get home fast. She had to thank that the man was rather weak to ask her more question about things he perceived odd like when they got in the taxi. The idea that the man came from the past still processing in Nami's brain. How in the world did it happen? If this was a bogus, she was still liable for the guy's injury. But why does she has to bring him home!

Nami didn't able to thoroughly think the consequence that might happen afterward when they got home. _It's okay, Nami, your sister and father are there. _She assured herself. _Nothing will happen. _

It seemed like fate has better things for her as when they got home, after Nami opened the door and looked at the note before the telephone, she realized they were alone. She with a stranger who was double her size and could easily knock her down if he pleases. She gulped, masking the start of fright in her face, her hands started to tremble, and it didn't slip on Ryotaro's watchful eyes.

"You're shaking."

"I'm not. Be quiet." Nami countered, pursing her lips once more. Ryotaro noticed she often do that when she was troubled or thinking a way out of a problem. He grinned, realizing he was the problem she wanted to get rid.

Nami hurriedly placed him in the living room and look for their first aid kit. Seemingly, the man had acquired far worst injury in his life, a pack of blood loss wouldn't kill him. "It seems like you're not going to die at all." Nami commented, looking at a small bump on his head.

"I've gone far from a small hit on the head. It's just that the fall inexplicably stole most of my energy...it feels like it splits my soul into two."

"You're delusional." Nami clucked her tongue. "We still need to go to the hospital to check if it's okay."

"Hospital?"

"Never mind." Nami dropped the bloodied cotton balls in the trash bin and considered. "You need to change clothes first...er...clean yourself"

"And you, too." Ryotaro took notice of her disheveled look with stray leaves in her hair and a trace of blood on her cheeks.

"Oh goodness, don't tell me."

"Aha."

Nami rushed into the bathroom and screamed.

When she returned, the guy already bandaged his head like an experienced man who assists people's head injuries. Nami looked disbelieving. "How did you?"

"I grow up taking care of myself."

Nami shook her head, noting she wouldn't understand him even if he explains it. "We still need to get you to the doctor, the bathroom's on the left side, I'll get you something from my father's clothes." _You can just go to the doctor like that._

Ryotaro just nodded his head and followed the direction she said. He saw the last door, which he believed she ran into earlier. Opening the door, a sweet scent entered his nostrils, it was pleasing but Ryotaro had to scrunch his nose with how feminine it was. He had never got a chance to get close to woman as close as she was, and dealing with them was never in his mind. He needed to go to the doctor to assure his health as what she said, and he would go and look for the answer on why he was transported there.

"I'm sorry for waiting, I'm looking for a bigger clothes...but I can't find anything that fits you so I hope you don't mind a slightly fitted shir—Oh God!"

Nami craned her neck at the side, almost feeling a slight snap of it, chanting _'don't look below the belt!' _"Can you at least strip into your birthday suit **after** I leave!"

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**Authoress' Note:**

Hallo, I've been meaning to write this for three years already [well, not really, but the Historical Romance version of this] so this is like a fanfiction of that supposed story of mine XD

Anyway, thank you for reading.


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